Bill Callahan plays Eddie's Attic Oct. 12

The Drag City songwriting icon makes a rare Atlanta appearance

Photo credit: Hanly Banks

Bill Callahan

By Emily MaxwellThursday October 5, 2017 08:19 pm EDT

Well into his third decade of writing and performing, former lo-fi anti-hero Bill Callahan continues to mesmerize audiences with his dark humor and his mastery of minimalism. Recording as Smog throughout the '90s, Callahan cut his teeth creating homemade 4-track recordings before signing to Drag City. There, he shed the fuzz and dissonance that dominated his early years, bringing his deadpan baritone to the fore and embracing a cleaner sound with songs such as "Cold Blooded Old Times' and "Ex Con,' some of the most indelible songs of the era. With his latest offering under his own name, 2014's Have Fun With God, Callahan delves deeper into his droll dry yet welcoming character, defined by his singularly flourishing folk songs.